Rubber-like gum



PATENTED FEB. 23, 1904.

M. G. BROWNELL.

RUBBER LIKE GUM.

APPLIUMION Hun SEPT. 9, 190s.

vN0 MODEL.

INVENTOR yzva ezmZZ.

m E W UNITED STATES Patented February 23, 1904.

PATENT OEE-ICE.

RUBBER-LIKE GUM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 752,951, dated February 23, 1904.

Application led September 9, 1903.

others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention contemplates a new rubberlike gum adapted for use in various connections and for various purposes, chiefly as a substitute for caoutchouc, gutta-percha, and other like gums and` manufactured from a particular plant or shrub, which plant or shrub has, so far as I am now aware, never before4 been employed for any useful purpose.

The particular plant or shrub for which I claim to be the first to' propose utility and for the gummy portions of which in an agglomerated form I claim to be the first to propose a commercial yand valuable use may be found in Colorado and is now since my discovery of it commonly known in this locality as thek Colorado rubber -plant. As the proper identification of this particular plant or shrub is a matter of importance, I have submitted specimens of the same to Professor T.'D. A. Cockerell, of ,the Colorado College, and in a bulletin of the Colorado College MuseumA issued December 11 1903, Professor Cockerell states as follows: A good deal of interest has been aroused by the discovery that a native plant growing in the region around Buena Vista, Colorado, contains considerable quantities of rubber in its roots. Mr. F. R. Marsh, of Denver, has kindly 'supplied me with a good flowering specimen of the plant, which proves to be a Pz'cmciena closely allied to a P. florz'mzda., (Gray,) Greene, part of the aggregate Acfzaella Rchmcsmwl of Greg/s Synoptcal Fom. Although this plant has been lcollected on various occasions, it has been con- `in appearance and mode of growth to P. jiowlbanda, (a topotype collected by Heller at Santa Serial No. 172,455. (No specimens.)

Fe, New Mexico, compared,) but easily distinguished by the pale yellowish, broad, and subovate outer bracts, with strongly-concave outer margins and the back conspicuously keeled. These bracts are united about to the middle. (In P. )Zorz'unda these bracts are greener, long and pointed, with straight sides, i

and not united quite so far as the middle.) The disk corollas have a rusty-red ring in the throat, which appears to be absent in Jia-rt'- ama; rays narrower, about two millimeters in diameter. As far as the specimens seen go, the basal part of the stems is much more robust in 'ut/Z213 than orz'f/Lmcla. Compared with P. meanrat/ict and P. Zzgalceam, the rubber-plant differs conspicuously in its taller stature and smaller liowers. It is also readily ldistinguished from Pcwz'd'som' and the other described species of the genus. In P. Paniek com (cotype examined) the outer bracts are narrower and shorter than the inner and the inner are much more pointed than those of The disk corollas of Dcwz'dsom' are considerably broader at vthe top than those of utilis. The length of the disk corollas in fwz'dsom' is three and one-half millimeters, in utilis and jZo-mbzmda four, in lz'gulreor@ five. In P. Zrlgtlom and muera-nth@ the receptacle is hemispherical and somewhat fimbrillose, these species having in part the characters of In ]Zmtmcla and ut/lis the receptacle is conical and bare. I have therefore elected in the following description of my new article of manufacture, or composition of matter, as it may be termed, and the process of making same and in the following claims to employ the name Pz'cmrlema ortm-Za utilis in referring to this plant or shrub, as this, I understand, is to become the recognized botanical name of the plant or shrub now commonly called the Colorado rubber-plant, sometimes referred to as the Actnella Ric/'Madrona In practicing my invention I first take a suiiicient quantity of the plant Pimftdem'c florirmda utilis', preferably only the root and crown of the plant, as only these portions ap. pear to contain a high percentage of the gummy matter, although, of course, the entire plant can bel employed, if desired. After the IOO plant or shrub has been driedI then grind it up or disintegrate it in any suitable manner and with any suitable or appropriate machinery, the purpose of this step in the process being to convert the plant or shrub into powder-like, granulated, or comminuted material, as I find that by so doing the gummy portions of the plant are more readily and thoroughly extracted. The comminuted matter thus manufactured from the plant Piorcaflem'aom'b/Lmdco utilis can then be placed in a solution composed, say, of alcohol and benzin or gasolene or other suitable hydrocarbon, the object being to thoroughly dissolve the gummy matter of the ground or comminuted material. In making the solution a few drops of alcohol are preferably added for every quart of benzin, gasolene, or other hydrocarbon employed. rIhe hydrocarbon alone will insure a dissolving of the gummy matter of the plant Pioraclem'a flom'zmda utilis reduced to the said ground or comminuted form; but a somewhat longer time is required with the hydrocarbon alone than when the alcohol is added; If alcohol is employed in the solution, I prefer to use the variety termed wood-alcohol. rlhe pulp-like mixture thus obtained by mixing the ground or comminuted material with the said solution is then preferably allowed to stand until the gummy portions of the ground or comminuted plant Pt'cmdem'ct jlorz'fzmda utilis are thoroughly dissolved or extracted from the fiber of the plant. This may require from six to twenty-four hours, according to requirements or the conditions of particular cases. After this step in the process the liquid containing the gummy portions is preferably separated from the ber of the comminuted material by any suitable meansas, for example, by suitable pressure applied in any suitable manner. I then subject the liquid holding the gumm y matter in solution to suitable distillation, which leaves the gummy portions as a residue and in an agglomerated form or condition. The new rubber-like gum or waterproof gum or material thus produced constitutes a new article of manufacture, as it is capable of use in various connections and for various purposes-for example, as a substitute for rubber, caoutchouc', or gutta-percha, in the manufacture or treatment of various well-known articles of manufacture, or for any purpose for which it may be found suitable.

The accompanying drawing graphically indicates the several steps of the process employed in recovering the new product.

As thus manufactured from the plant Piom- Zem'ct orz'bimda utilis, my new rubber-like gum is in the nature of anew article of manufacture or composition of matter, and when produced by the herein-described particular process it may be regarded as a new composition of matter consisting of the agglomerated gummy portions or elements of the plant or shrub called Pz'cmdem'a florz'imda utilis and referred to by other names, as hereinbefore described, and the residual portions of a volatile hydrocarbon solvent. i

My invention, therefore, as stated, considered'as a new product, article of manufacture, or composition of matter, consists of a rubber-like or waterproof gum resulting from the extraction and agglomeration of gummy portions of a particular plantmto wit, the plant Pierradma, JZom'bzmda utz'lz's, as explained.

I claim to be the first to in any suitable or desired manner extract and agglomerate the gummy portions of the plant Picwlem'a flort'bzmda utilis into a useful manufacture or composition of matter.

The process of producing the plastic rubber-like body by comminuting the specified plant and agglomerating the gummy particles in the comminuted product into a coherent mass invented by me is not claimed in. this particular application.

While the described process of recovering the gum is one which has been found efficient, it is to be understood that Imay employ any process which will serve to produce the guml vglomerated into a coherent mass, insoluble in water but soluble in light hydrocarbons such as gasolene, substantially as described.

2. A new manufacture or composition of matter, consisting of a rubber-like and waterproof gum, said gum comprising the agglomerated gummy portions of the plant Pic/mdem'a orz'bzmda utz'lz's and the residual portions of a volatile hydrocarbon solvent, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MYRON G. BROWNELL.

Witnesses:

A. J. OBRIEN, DENA NELSON. 

